Valve operator



H. R. KILLIAN VALVE OPERATOR July 10, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1959 July 10, 1962 H. R. KlLLlAN 3,043,160

VALVE OPERATOR Filed Aug. 28, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Il* E l FUE-7 F1155: F115. 1D

United States Patent y Oii ice 3,@43J60 Patented July 10, 1962 3, 43,3.60 VALVE JFERATGR Henry R. Killian, Pari; Forest, iii., assigner to Henry Pratt Company, a corporation of Illincis Filed Aug. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 836,803 7 Claims. (t. I4- 509) This invention relates to an operating mechanism for a valve and particularly to a valve operator for valves requiring about 90 of rotary movement between open and closed positions. A

Various types of valves including cone, ball, rotary, buttery and perhaps others have a shaft upon which the valve closure is mounted within a valve body and intended to turn with the shaft through approximately 90 between its fully open and fully closed positions. A crank may be attached to the valve shaft outside of the valve body and may be turned by hand or by various available motors in order to accomplish the 90 of movement or increments thereof. The present valve operator is intended to be secured to the valve housing to eifect movement of the valve closure in the prescribed manner.

The primary object of this invention -is to provide a new and improved valve operator of the character described.

Another object of the invention is to provide an operator4 having simplified parts and a single housing in which the parts may be interchangeably provided to furnish operators for diiferent sizes of valves requiring dierent operative forces.

Another object is to provide an operator of simplified parts resulting in reduced cost of manufacture in addition to insuring operability over a Alonger life period.

A further object is to provide a valve operator structure adaptable readily for use with different power sources.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the operator of this invention installed upon a butterily wafer-type valve;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational View of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a broken plan View of the valve operator with the cover thereof removed to show the internal mechanism taken substantially along the line 3 3 in FIGURE 2 with the mechanism in the open valve position;

FIGURE 4 is similar to FIGURE 3 showing the mechanism in a different position;

FIGURE 5 is -a fragmentary horizontal sectional View through the mechanism .taken substantially along the line 5 5 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical fragmentary sectional view through a portion of the valve operator taken substantially along the line 6 6 in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the crank removed from the mechanism;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view through the nut used with the crank and removed from the mechanism;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary sectional view looking toward ythe bearing block and taken substantially along or body 12 of a buttery valve. The valve has a disc 13 mounted upon a shaft passing through the body and rotatably supported in the bearing boss 11 .and a similar lower boss 14. The valve has a rubber seat 15 including side flanges 16 and 17 integral therewith so as to seal the valve against ilanges of pipe brought against the valve body. Such iiange on the pipe may be bolted together against the valve, the bolts passing just'outside of a central rib 18 upon the valve body.

A butterfly valve opens and closes by turning the valve disc 13 through approximately 90. The valve in FIG- URE 2 is shown in the closed position and the operator 1i? is intended to turn the disc crosswise of the body 90 from the position illustrated. The particular operator is one intended to be hand operated by means of a crank 2.0 having a handle 21 and pinned by a pin 22 to an operator shaft 23. The mechanismis enclosed by a vtop cover plate 24 upon the cast housing 25 and the position of the valve is Ivisual-ly indicated by anjarrow 26 carried by the cover for direct connection with the shaft of the valve. Suitable legend such as closed and open will indicate the extremes of movement of the valve and the position of the arrow Ibetween the extremes will indicate a partially open valve. It is preferred in the present invention to mount the valve operator directly upon the valve. The housing 25 of the present operator is provided with a downwardly extending, relatively square boss 27 intended to be bolted directly to the valve and thus mount the operator to the valve. Ordinarily, acomplete -unit will include a valve and its operator. While the present operator is manually turned, air, water, or hydraulic cylinders may be used with the same basic operator unit. In some instances, geared electric motors are also used to operate valves and the present structure is adaptable to such use by connection thereof to the valve operator shaft 23.

The structure within the housing 25 is shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4. The valve operator shaft 23 has an inner threaded portion 23a passiugthrough a threaded nut 30 having a round configuration yand positioned in the bifurcated arms 31 `of a crank 32 intended to be pinned to the valve shaft 33 as by a pin 34. The crank may move between limits described by threaded studs 35 and 36 adjustably located in inwardly extending bosses 37 and 3S formed inthe sidewalls of the housing.

Referring particularly to FIGURE 3, the means used for securing the entire operator to the valve 'includes drilled openings 39 in the four corners of the boss 27. With the cover removed, the `openings 39 are accessible so that machine screws may be used to -attach the operator to the valve itself. y

Referring particularly to FIGURES 3 through 6, it may be seen that the operator 10 is composed primarily of a housing in two parts. 'Ihe main casting comprises the housing 25 of yone part and the other part is the cover 24. The main housing has a bottom wall 40 with an upstanding integral sidewall 41 which is continuous and extends about the periphery of the bottom wall 40. The main portion of the housing has a lateral extension shown best in FIGURES 5 and 6.' The sidewall 41 has a pair of extensions 41a and 4117 with a joining crosswall 41e` extending primarily at right angles thereto. The bottom 40 of the housing is extended, forming an outwardly extending bottom wall portion 43 beyond the crosswall 41C. The housing also 'has an integral upper wall 44 which also extends beyond the joining wall 41e to form an outwardly extending part 45. The outwardly extending top and bottom walls 43 and 45 are generally coextensive. the support for the opera-tor shaft 23. p

The particular means employed for mounting the valve It is the extension of the body which houses '50 of particular structure'.

shape and mounted in 4a reamed opening formed in they iication will be obviousto those operator shaft 23 in the `housing employs a bearing block i,

The block isV cylindrical in extension of the housing to receive the block. TheOpening in thehousing extension Vis formed to providey a bearing for the Vblock inrthe'top wml 44 and bottom wall di) of the extension. Between theseV walls, the opening also` ibisects the joining wall 41C so that the block, in eect, is mounted in thewall of the housing. The block is of 'Y a size to substantially'fill the opening in which itis placed Vand'thus also Vacts to seal the opening in the housing Wall madeto receive it. In the figures of the drawing, it will -be noted that the bearing block t) is a cylindricalv bloc.

joining wall portion extending between'the spaced wall port1ons,y said extended portion' of the housinghaving a bore generally parallel to the'valve shaft axis passing through the spaced wall portions and-severing said joinhaving-a round faced area 51 on one side `and a similar area 52 on the Yopposite side and la cross bore 53 joining the faced areas. The shaftZS ofthe operator passes through the bore Sand thus 'from the outside to the VVinside ofthe housing. The faced areas provide accommodation for thrust bearing Washers 64 and 65 `'against whichthrust collars 66 and 67 lare held in position on the shaftv by cross pins 54 and 55 passaging crosswise through the shaft. The thrust bea-ring structure holds Ythevshaft against longitudinal movement relative to the lock 50. `The bearingfblock has a relatively tight hty in V.the wallsl ofthe housing, and thus'is retained in place allowing swinging of the shaft, to laccommodate turning of the crank and yet sealing the opening in the housing wall in which the block is mounted.

The motion of the crank is best illustrated in FIGURE i Y4 wherein the full line position of the crankl 32 would Yindicate that` the valve was about half open.

The dotted line position `against the stop 36 would ,show the valve in the closedposition. The full line position shown in EIGURE 3 would be in the position holding the valve open. The forni of the crank and nut Ywhich travels v along the shaft 23 are shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. The

crank has a pair of -arms 31a yand Sib forming a bifurcated member from the hub 31e'.- AnY opening S7 in the hub acccommodates the pin 34k for locking the crank to the valve shaft. Each ofthe armsV has a bore 58V for receiving the round nut30. The nut is provided with a thread 59 mating with the threaded valve shaft 23. The lower end ofthe nut is provided with a chamfer 6i) to facilitate its insertion in the bore 53m the arms of the crank VAs the crank moves, the round nut 39 may turn in Iohe arms 'of the crank and the bearing block St) in the housing extension may turn to'Y allow swinging of the shaft, accommodating the arcuate movement of the crank. TheV ad- Y dition of the cover 24 enclosed the entire operator so as to keep out dirt and foreign matter. While the present .invention illustrated shows the cover extending Yover the the extension, without an opening therein, some motors vinlay require access to the upperV end of the bearing 'block `of the parts of the operator.

The foregoing detailed description'has been given for irclearness of understanding only `and no unnecessary limi- Y ing wall portion to provide an opening in the housing communicating with the interior thereof; a bearing block `mounted in said bore so `as to fill the same, said block being swingably supported in the bore portions in said spacedwall portions and being inV sealing engagement with said'joining -wall portion so as to completely close the opening in the housing, said bearingblock having a central opening in alignment with said crank and a shaft passing through said central opening for operative connection to the crank, said `shaft having means for transferring thrust to the hearing block, said bearing block permitting swinging movement of said shaft during arcuate movement of the crank'within the housing.

s 2. VA valve operator for a valve requiring about 90 of valve shaft turning motion, comprising: a hollow housing having arcrank therein lfor receiving the valve shaft 1n a manner insuring turning'of the valve shaft and crank together about the axis of the valve shaft, aV hearing block mounted in said housing in spaced relation to said crank for rotary movement about an ,Taxis parallel t-o the axis of the valve shaft, said housingV having integral Wall portions providing support for said hearing block at each end and exposing la central portion of the block to the interior of the housing and a separate and opposite central portion of the block to the exterior of the housing, said wall portions being in bearing and sealing engagement with said bearing block, said block having an opening therethrough aligned with said crank and V'ex-tending through'said central portions; ashaft extending through `said `bearingihlock and connected with said crank for turning the same, said bearing block permitting swinging motion of said shaft relative tosaid housing during arcuate movement of said crank.

3. A valveoperator as specified in claim 2 wherein said housing has a 4bottom wall and upstanding side walls `with atop Wall in'the'area ofsaid ybearing block, said ybearing Ablock being cylindrical in form and substantially filling a bore .formed in said walls and said shaft substan- Y tially filling the opening in said 4bearingfblock so as to exclude matter from `entering the housing. y

4. A valve operator fora valve requiring about 90 vof valve shaft turning motion, comprising: a hollow housing having 4a crank therein for receivingthe valve shaft `1n a manner insuring turning of thevalve shaft and crank together yabout the axis of the valve sha-ft, said'housing having a bottom wall adapted to 4be secured to the valve to prevent turning of the housing with the crank; a bearing block mounted in the Vhousing in spaced relation to the crank and having an axis'generally parallel to the valve shaft axis,` said block having opposite'sp'aced portions exposed respectively to the interior and exterior of the housing and having `a bore therethrough connecting said portions; a crank operating shaft Vextending through the bore in, said bearing andvhaving its inner end operatively connected with the crank, means transferring the force of said shaft in moving said crank to said bearing block and thus to said housing, said bearing permitting 'hswingingmovement ofrsaid Vshaft during arcuate vmovetations are to be understood therefrom, for some modil skilled in the art. I claim:

V1. VA valveoper'ator for a valve requiring about 90 of valve'shaft'turning Emotiomcomprising: -a hollow housing having ya crank therein for receiving Vthe valvefshaft Y in a manner insuring turning of the valveV shaft and crankVV Y Y together about the yaxis of the valve shaft, saidV housing n having a laterally extended portion provided lwith integral supper and` lower spacedwall portionsl and an integral ment of the crank in the housing and -being in sealing engagement with the walls of the housing to seal the interior of the housing from the exterior,

5. A valve operator as specified in claim 4` wherein said bearing block has a fiat area on each side about the bore therethrough andsaidshaft is provided with a pair ,of thrust ibearingjmembers one-for engaging eachv flat area so as to transfer said thrust longitudinally ,of the shaft to said bearing block. n y f 6. A valve operator for a valve having a shaft requir- -ingabout V of turning movement, comprising: a cast Vhousing body having a bottom wall and continuous side Wall forming a hollow portion, an upper wall joining and bridging across adjacent portions of said side wall to one side of said hollow portion, said upper wall being integral with said housing vand generally parallel to said bottom Wall, said housing having a bore extending through said upper and lower Walls and bisecting said side wall to provide an opening through the side wall into said housing; a bearing block shaped to substantially till said bore mounted therein and having a cross-bore therein extending from the exterior to the interior of the housing; a shaft extending through said `cross bore and having means abutting said bearing block to prevent endwise movement of the shaft relative to the bearing block, ysaid shaft having 4a threaded length inside the housing; a crank in the housing for attachment to the valve shaft to be turned yand having means threadedly receiving said shaft; means for turning the shaft in said bearing block to move the crank, said bearing block permitting swinging movement of the shaft during crank movement and being in sealing engagement wtih the walls of the housing to seal the interior of the housing from the exterior; and a cover over the hollow portion of said housing.

7. A Valve operator as specified in claim 6 wherein the portion of said housing receiving said bearing block is generally U-shaped in plan extension of the housing with the bearing block in the -base of the U and said upper and lower walls extending outwardly beyond the side wall at the base of the U, said block being supported in the upper and lower walls on either side of said shaft and said side wall contacting the bearing block so that the block and adjacent walls substantially close the opening in the hous- 111g.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,346,149 Whitten July 13, 1920 1,594,109 Rodanet July 27, 1926 1,770,265 Flowers July 8, 1930 2,548,994 Miller etal Apr. 17, 1951 2,908,182 Bacehi Oct'. 13, 1959 2,909,079 Fawkes Oct. 20, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 258,275 Italy Apr. 12, 1928 739,346 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1955 

